What Inconclusive ECG Means on Your Apple Watch

Key Takeaways

Apple Watch Inconclusive ECGs aren't always a cause for concern, though they can be a sign of irregular heartbeats or abnormal heart rhythms.
To start, we'll show you how to take ECGs from your Apple Watch that are less likely to result in an Inconclusive.
If you're still seeing Inconclusive ECGs, you may have an abnormal heart rhythm that's not detectable by the Apple Watch ECG app.

Apple Watch Inconclusive ECGs aren't always a cause for concern, though they can be a sign of irregular heartbeats or abnormal heart rhythms.
To start, we'll show you how to take ECGs from your Apple Watch that are less likely to result in an Inconclusive.
If you're still seeing Inconclusive ECGs, you may have an abnormal heart rhythm that's not detectable by the Apple Watch ECG app.

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Got other questions on your Apple Watch? See the complete set of Qaly guides on Apple Watch:

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Introduction

The Inconclusive Apple Watch ECG result is one of the most frustrating experiences when monitoring your heart health. In your frustration, you might be wondering, "What does Inconclusive mean on my Apple Watch ECG?" Or you might be thinking, "Why does my Apple Watch ECG keep saying Inconclusive?" In this guide, we'll help answer these questions, and we'll share some tips on how to take ECGs that don't result in Inconclusive. Let's dive in.

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What Does Inconclusive Mean on My Apple Watch ECG?

An Apple Watch Inconclusive ECG means your recording couldn't be classified. This could be due to any of the following reasons:

The way you're taking your ECG is leading to a low signal quality.
Your heart rate is between 100 and 120 beats-per-minute (bpm) and you aren't in Afib.
You have a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
You're showing signs of other arrhythmias or heart conditions outside of Sinus Rhythm, Atrial Fibrillation, Low Heart Rate, and High Heart Rate that the ECG app isn't designed to recognize.

Other arrhythmias that might cause an Inconclusive ECG on Apple Watch include Premature Atrial Contraction (PAC), Premature Ventricular Contraction (PVC), Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT), and Ventricular Tachycardia (V-Tach).

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How Do I Avoid an Inconclusive ECG?

First things first, let's make sure you're taking an ECG properly, so that your Apple Watch doesn't label your ECG Inconclusive.

To do this, see if you're still getting an Inconclusive ECG after each of the following steps:

Get comfortable and relax. If you take your ECG when your arms are shaking or moving, it can lead to an Inconclusive ECG. Sit down. Take three, long, deep breaths. Place your arms flat on a table or flat in your lap in order to minimize movement.
Make sure your Apple Watch fits snuggly. Your ECG's signal quality is low when your Apple Watch is so loose that it doesn't touch your skin. Fasten your Apple Watch so that it's both snug on your wrist, and so that the back of the watch is touching your skin.
Keep your wrist and Apple Watch clean and dry. Your sweat can interfere with the signal quality of your ECG. First, take off your Apple Watch. Then, dry the area where you normally wear your Apple Watch (for most people, this is your wrist, but for the curious or adventurous this could be your chest or ankle). Next, dry the finger you use to place on the crown of the Apple Watch to start your ECG. Last, dry your watch's crown and the back of your watch to clean all of the sensors involved in taking your ECG. You're now ready to strap your Apple Watch back on and take another ECG.
Check your wrist orientation setting. If you take your ECG on the "wrong" wrist, it can confuse your Apple Watch. On your Apple Watch, go to Settings > General > Orientation. See which wrist you've selected in the Orientation setting. Then, confirm that your Apple Watch is strapped onto that same wrist of yours.
Distance yourself from other electronics. If you have electronic devices nearby that are plugged into an outlet, it can cause electrical interference with your ECG. If you can, try moving away from any electronic devices that are plugged into an outlet.

If you're still seeing an Apple Watch Inconclusive ECG after taking steps to prevent your Apple Watch from labeling your ECG Inconclusive, it may be a sign of an underlying heart abnormality like an SVT ECG or a Short PR Interval.

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Will Apple Watch Detect Abnormal ECGs?

Apple Watch will not always detect abnormal ECGs. For example, an SVT ECG, which Apple Watch cannot detect, may come up as an Inconclusive ECG. In these cases, get your Inconclusive ECG read by experts like the ones on the Qaly app (App Store or Play Store).

As always, if you're experiencing symptoms with your Inconclusive ECG, or if you see any signs of abnormal heart rhythms, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible to rule out underlying heart conditions. To better understand how to see signs of abnormal heart rhythms on your ECG, take a look Qaly's guide on how to read your ECG.

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Conclusion

Well, that just about wraps up our guide on what an Inconclusive ECG means on your Apple Watch. We hope this could be of some help to you.

If you're still getting Inconclusive ECGs or if you need help interpreting your Inconclusive ECGs, don't worry, we understand how frustrating and confusing it can be to experience them. That's why we created the Qaly app for you and for the hundreds of millions of people around the world who experience irregular heartbeats and abnormal heart rhythms. On the Qaly app, human experts will interpret your Inconclusive ECGs within minutes for clarity and peace of mind.

To get started with the Qaly app, grab the Qaly app from the App Store or Play Store today. If you have any more questions, or if you need our help in any other way, don't hesitate to reach out to us at support@qaly.co.

As always from the team at Qaly, stay heart healthy ❤️

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